Help Stop Animal Dumping

I am usually up most nights and early mornings. I keep the radio on 740 AM all night. (www.KTRH.com –which you can stream online if you don’t live in the Houston area.)

Some of my favorite shows are on that station–from GardenLine with Master Gardener Randy Lemmon (Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 AM to 10 AM CST ( a call-in show for any and all gardening questions)…

…and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (the original show founded by Art Bell–and a radio show with an audience of millions–which covers stuff you probably haven’t even thought about before–from ghosts and aliens to news issues and the afterlife. Maybe he’ll do an animal issues awareness show sometime soon? Want to plant a “seed” ? Email George: george@coasttocoastam.com).

Let’s Get To The Real Issue

This week, on Monday morning, while my radio was still on from the night before, I heard something that I needed to share with you on the Matt Patrick Show, (just before 7 AM),

Matt was interviewing Houston Assistant D.A., Belinda Smith. It was a brief but powerfully moving interview–but I felt really angry (and sick) afterward. Not from the interview, but from what the animal abusers are doing to the animals–dumping them, and their severed body parts, in several places around the city.

As I understood from the interview, the City of Houston has implemented a portable, or roving surveillance system, that watches certain areas to catch “animal dumping” crimes. People who dump the animals can be arrested–if they can be caught–so the focus is to get their license places and even a photo of their face–and their helpers–if possible.

But of course, a roving system can’t have “eyes” on any area 24/7–so they need YOUR help–maybe to write down the plate numbers, vehicle descriptions and what they are doing/did–and then call everything into Crime Stoppers. (Please check in with Corridor Rescue first–contact info below–to find out exactly how to help, go with a buddy, etc.)

This is not about “caring” people, dropping their beloved animals in a beautiful field to set them free (instead of bringing them to a shelter)–because they can’t afford to feed them, or care for them, anymore. (BTW (by the way) domestic animals are helpless in the “wild.”)

The economy is stressing a lot of people to their limits. Many others are turning in their animals to shelters, thinking that they are the best chance of getting their animals adopted, instead of trying to rehome them first–which would give them a better chance of continuing to live. Or how about giving up Starbucks in the morning in order to feed the animals?

I heard stories, in Matt’s interview, about animals being left with their legs severed from their bodies–(“OMG,” I thought. “Were they were still alive/but dying when left there? Who could do such a thing…?”)

Some were decapitated (beheaded); injured, hurt…I’ve heard of animals being dumped after just having given birth–with no food or protection for their tiny babies…Listening to what was going on, three days later, my breakfast from that morning is still not settled in my stomach. (I kept asking myself, “Why, why, WHY is this happening?”)

I know that in addition to the roving surveillance system, there is also a limited number of volunteers out and about in these fields trying to help these animals. They have set up feed boxes/stations in some areas, that volunteers fill, just so the animals don’t starve to death.

If the more experienced volunteers can catch the abandoned animals, they take them to a vet for a check up, vaccines and medical care. Many have mange, are dehydrated and bone-thin and have other injuries that they were “dumped” with–or that they acquired after that.

Hopefully, the animals can then be put into a foster home–so many more are needed right now–and then rescue volunteers try to get them adopted instead of bringing them to a shelter–UNLESS of course, the shelter is a NO KILL shelter–where the animals are kept until adopted.

At a “regular” shelter, adoptable animals are being euthanized just due to overpopulation. Once turned in, they could be euthanized in an hour–or less–if an owner-surrender animal up to 72 hours on a lost or found animal…unless so cute, that someone at the shelter keeps it alive longer.

So how’s about volunteering at a shelter–walk the dogs; cuddle the cats; help people find an animal to take home; even get on the phone or computer and help find rescue groups to come and save them/get them out of the shelters…

How To Help

To find a Rescue Group or Shelter to Help: In Houston, most rescue groups are listed on: www.hadr-tx.org You can also find a rescue group or shelter in your area, by going to this link (CLICK HERE) from www.petfinder.com and search by your state and zip code.

Volunteers are needed everywhere to help animals–but in this case, helping at the animal dumping areas, you can take shifts–just sitting in your car with some binocs–writing down numbers and calling in crimes; you can help feed and/or catch the animals; you can foster and even adopt.

Homeless animals are in deep, deep trouble–and the only ones who can help them is us…Please reach out and help someone/group who helps animals in trouble if you can’t volunteer–it is really in giving, that your own life is truly blessed.

Thank you for stopping by, for listening and for caring. Especially for caring.

Jane

Note: This problem is going on all over the world. If you don’t live in Houston, please call your local shelter or animal control office and ask what rescue group (or even person) is helping abandoned animals in your area–and call or email them and ask how to volunteer–or click on the link ABOVE in petfinder.com.

If no one is doing this yet in your area, start your own abandoned animal rescue group, like Deb did with Corridor Rescue (link and CNN story/video below). Contact her and ask how to begin (and what to do/not do, etc.).

We can’t continue to bury our heads in the proverbial sand and pretend that this is not happening–just because it is too gruesome. It is happening–and we need to stop it.

(To Help Corridor Rescue, you can donate funds (online/from anywhere in the world) or food; volunteer to watch for crimes or for animals; be a feeder (fill up feed stations); volunteer to take animals to the vet; foster (be a temporary guardian); even adopt.)

2. Report a Crime to Crime Stoppers: Three ways to report a crime–find out how to call, text, or file an online complaint in the Houston area:

Taking care of special needs animals is very expensive–just look at a typical morning on the Rescue Ranch counter: Each time, two to three times a day, it takes two hours of dosing out medicines, supplements, making special diets, and more. This is just one of the reasons why special needs animals are not rescued by regular groups–and are usually just euthanized. Ugh.

You Can HELP animals–just by using your keyboard…At the end of this blog, is a facebook “Share” button, a Twitter post button and many other social media connections to use for sharing. PLEASE use them. You may not be able to give or adopt right now–or perhaps you live in another country and can’t help in Houston–but you could help animals by sharing online–SHARE, TWEET, POST…which keeps the story going around until it can reach people who can help in other ways.

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Mebs: From Under the Bridge Mascot

I've been an animal rescuer and advocate since forever! I remember bringing home every size, breed, type of animal, bird, reptile to my parent's house--and then carried it over to my adult life. When I saw there was a need to help disabled animals, I co-founded the Rescue Ranch in Houston (http://hopeformany.org) and need angels to help with some of the supplies/wish list items. I've been writing the Pet's blog for the Houston Chronicle since 2008 after 15 years of writing for newspapers and magazines as well as rescuing/advocating for animals. I hope you join me there, too: http://blog.chron.com /fromunderthebridge. Hugs from the Herd! (Our baby, Mebbie or Mebs, is this blog's mascot. She is the reason that so many have lived. Sending kisses to heaven...)